BMW previews safety, automation tech for 2015 CES

Showcases 360-degree collision, fully-automated parking and more

BMW is all set to unveil new and highly advanced technological features at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015 that may one day allow fully automated driving and collision-free driving possible.

Environment awareness is key in achieving 360-degree collision avoidance, says BMW. A BMW i3 will be used for the demo and is equipped with four advanced laser scanners that scans and records the environment for possible obstacles and impediments. After getting a digital blueprint of the area, the i3 is now self-aware of everything around it relative to its position and will apply the brakes in the event the vehicle approaches a wall or column too fast.

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The system can stop the i3 centimeters from the object and will release the brake once the driver steers away from the object. Like all BMW assistance systems, this research application can be overridden at any time by the driver.

Also featured at the CES 2015 is BMW’s Remote Valet Parking Assistant that is mounted on the BMW i3. Using the Smartwatch, the driver activates the system that will completely steer the vehicle not just directly into the parking slot but just like a valet, will take the i3 to a different levels of a multi-parking garage independently while the driver waits at the lounge. The i3 will lock itself and wait for the signal to pick up the driver. As soon as it is summoned, it calculates the time for the driver to get to the lounge and will start itself and start driving to be able to get there just in time for the driver’s arrival.

360-degree collision avoidance and Remote Valet Parking Assistant work together without the assistance of GPS technology which may be spotty inside a multi-level parking garage. Using data gathered by the laser sensors, the system has enough processing power and speed to make the necessary computations to determine the i3’s exact position in the parking lot, obstacles around it and implement a safe and collision-free route.